AT STANDSTILL

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 187, 6 May 1941, Page 7

AT STANDSTILL

Enemy Attack On Tobruk

SANDSTORM RAGING Tanks Driven Off By Artillery

(British Official Wireless.) (Received May 5, 7.30 p.m.)

RUGBY, May 4.

A communique issued from British headquarters in Cairo today states that though the enemy attack against the outer defences of Tobruk in Libya might be renewed, it was definitely brought to a standstill yesterday afternoon, when enemy tanks withdrew in the face of vigorous artillery fire. In the Solium area our mechanized forces again carried out. a successful raid, inflicting casualties and capturing prisoners.

The Press Association states that military circles in Cairo report a lull in the fighting at Tobruk while a duststorm raged, enveloping attackers and defenders, clouds of sand reducing visibility to less than 10 yards. Italian and German forces still hold a small sector in the western portion of the outer defences, but their tanks have not attempted a fresh attack after being driven back on Saturday by heavy artillery fire. The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” after a tour of the Western Desert, declares that the British forces are by no means at a disadvantage today compared with the position last June. Though the German advance from El Aglieila came sooner and more strongly than was expected, we were aware of the presence of German armoured formations in Tripoli. Australians Impress. The Germans, he said, no longer were using the inland desert route for the transport of supplies because it had been found too costly in fuel and also wear and tear. This meant that they must bring what they could by air and the rest by the coastal road, which was exposed to attack by the Navy and the Royal Air Force. “I was particularly impressed by the Australians in our main defence positions,” the correspondent said. “They know the present enemy is different in calibre from their former opponent in this area, but they found the defence line amazingly strong and have since immensely added to its strength.” German and Italian communiques claim that British counter-attacks at Tobruk were repulsed. British Official Wireless states that widespread offensive operations which were carried out without loss are described in today’s Royal Air lorce Middle East communique, which says that in Cyrenaica bomber aircraft continued to harass the enemy throughout vesterdoy and the previous night. During the night the aerodrome at Benina was heavily attacked. Two Junkers o-troop-carrying planes were destroyed by bombs and machine-gun fire, many others being seriously damaged. ' Fires at Benghazi.

In daylight yesterday the. aerodrome was again successfully bombed and many other Junkers 52’s damaged. In Benghazi large fires and violent explosions were caused among military objectives. Ou Friday bombers attacked a convoy of enemy merchant ships which were being escorted by destroyers in the Mediterranean and direct hits were made on three merchant vessels of 12,000, 8000 and 4000 tons respectively. In Abyssinia the R.A.F. has given continuous powerful air support to the successful operations on the ground. Or. the Amba Alagi and Falagapas areas great destruction was caused to enemy fortifications, motor transport, and supplies by bomb and machine-gun attacks. Heavy casualties were inflicted on enemy troops. A Cairo communique states that another important feature has been captured by our troops advancing on Amba Alagi, Abyssinia. In the southern districts operations are continuing.

THRILLING STORY

Enemy Convoy Wiped Out

LONDON, May 4

The Alexandria correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that Captain Phillip Mach, commander of the destroyer Jervis, returned _to port with a thrilling story of the action fought between Sicily and Tripoli last month, in which an enemy convoy was wiped out in half an hour. The other British destroyers engaged were the Janus, Nubian and Mohawk. The convoy was taken by surprise, and the destroyers closed in after the rising of the moon. Jervis shelled and sank a destroyer of the Spica class. Nubian hit a destroyer of the Folgore class, which was beached. Janus sank the largest destroyer, the Luca Tarigo. Mohawk concentrated on the merchantmen, and accounted for three of them, while another was beached and a fifth was torpedoed. Two torpedoes sank Mohawk, the majority of the crew being picked up by Jervis.

The convoy was carrying ammunition and German officers to Tripoli, and the action is rated as one of the most successful fought in the Mediterranean.

The Government radio station at Santiago de Cuba reported that it had intercepted a message from the British steamer Licoan saying that it was being pursued by a German submarine 350 miles north-east, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, states a Havaiia message.